Non-skid device.



a. E. CORKRAN.

NON-SKID DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-13.19M-

1 ,258,3 1 8. Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Z5 26 U- h lnl emor UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

GHARLES neon men, or LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

, non-skin env ron.

inieiiieni nortetars rattle. pgfljnt d 5, 1913 Application filegllvll arch 13,1917. Serial No. 154,449.

vention to provide a simpleand inexpensive means which may be easily attached-to any motor vehicle, and which will effectuall prevent skidding.

I explain a preferred form of mechanism embodyingmy invention in the following specification, but it will be understood that my device may bevaried in its design and construction, in order to suit different situations and in order to be adapted to operation by difi'erentkinds of motive power, diff ferent operative connections, etc. My device comprisesa combination of a'road engaging member of "such design as to engage the road to prevent skidding; and a manually operable or controllable means to move said member into and out of engagement with the road. Preferably I utilize a resilient element, so that the road engaging member is resiliently held. against the road surface; and I prefentoadapt a general style of construction which embodies one or more vertical cylinders with vertical plungers extending downwardly therefrom and carrying the road engagingmember' at their lower ends. These details, and other specific details of construction, are all explained in the following specification; reference being hadto the accompanying drawings .in which Figure-1 is a rear view: of an automobile equipped with my device, showing two different forms which'may-beusedlon difierent kinds of-roads; Fig. 2 isan enlarged end elevation of the device; Fig. 3 is'a" side elevation ofwthe same ;-Fi .4' is'a' partial secf tion taken as indicatedl) showing the construction of a cylinder and plunger; Fig. 6 is an enlarged view showing a road engaging wheel or roller carried upon the lower end of a single plunger; Fig. 7 is a view showing a road engaging skid carried upon the lower end of the single plunger; Fig. 8 is a front elevation showing an attachment to the wheel carrying frame; and Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the same.

y line 44 on Fig. i 2; Fig. is anenlarged longitudinal section In the drawings the numeral 10 designate's the 'frame and body of an automobile,

andthe numeral 11 designates my non-skid device, shown 1n its general relatlve' proper position in Fig. 1. In one preferred form as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, my device may comprise a pair of cylinders 12, whose upper ends are mounted in a suitable horizontal frame member 13, and whose lower ends are mounted in another suitable frame'member 1 1. This frame member l may be of the configuration shown, extending up and joining with the frame member 13, as illustrated.

' The cylinders 12 are thus carried-rigidly in" proper vertical position. In each of the cylinders 12. I place aplunger 15 extending down below the lower end of the cylinder. These plungers 15 are preferably hollow and carry springs 16, as .is shown in detail in Fig. 5. Above the springthere is a plunger block 17 and each plunger blockis connected to a cross pin 18. Cross pin 18 is engaged by the forked end 19 of lever arm 20 which forms one part of a bell crank lever pivoted on the shaft 21, the other arm 22 of the bell crank lever extending downwardly and connecting to any suitable operating rod.

This operating'rod 23 may be a special operating rod used for this purpose only, or it maybe a brake operating rod. "Forward motion on rod 23 (in a direction indicated by the arrow in-Fig. 3) will cause downward motion of the plunger blocks 17, which will cause downward motion of the plungers 15 through the resilient medium of the springs 16. Inthe form now being explained, the two plungers 15 carry the. road engaging wheel or roller 25between their lower ends.

The lower", ends 1 of these plungers are con- 'nected together by a suitable connecting cross frame 26;and thisframe mayfcarry a ,brush27 adaptedto press against the pe- I ripher'y of the" wheel 25 to remove mud therefrom. and to keep ,the wheel clean so that it may efficiently perform its 'office': The periphery of therwheel may. be, grooved, as shown at 28, in order to eifectuallyengage the road surface in such a manner as to prevent lateral motion.

The shaft 21 is mounted in and between two frame members 30 which connect with vide a member 31 whose ends are mounted upon or connected with the frame 10 of the vehicle, as indicated at 32; and this member 31 may be connected to the frame members 30 by suitable clamps or straps 33. The whole stationary frame and the cylinders 12 are thus held in proper rigid position so as to hold the plungers 15 and the road engaging member in its proper position.

Normally, the road engaging members will be raised off the road by moving the lever arm 20 upwardly; The cross pin 18 passes through a short slot 35 in plunger 15, up through a long slot 36 in the cylinder 12. Upward m vement of the cross pin will cause it to engage the upper end of the slots and then the cross pin may be moved upwardly in the slots 36, raising the road engaging member to its upper inoperative position.

20 is moved downwardly, pressing down upon the plunger blocks 17 and thus pressing down on the springs 16 to press the road engaging member resiliently into contact with the road.

It will be understood that any suitable source of power may be utilized to move the road engaging member into and out of operation. I herein show and explain a purely mechanical operation of the road engaging member, preferably operated by hand or foot; but this is not necessarily the case. It will be seen that other means may be applied to the plunger-s 15 to move them up and down. For instance, without changing the essentials of the i vent-ions of the device, fluid or pneumatic pressure, or elec trical energy might be used for this purpose.

I have also explained in preferred form, the use of a pair of cylinders and plungers to support the road engaging members. However, a road engaging member \y be mounted directly upon the lower end of a single plunger. And, furthermore, this road engaging member not necessarily in the form of a roller or wheel. In Fig. 6 I show the lower end of a plunger -15? which carries a road engaging wheel or roller 25 uponits lower end; and in Fig. 7 I show the lower end of a plunger 15 wnich carries directly a skid 15 I may prefer to use a skid for unpaved roads; while I may prefer to use the roller or wheel for paved roads; and, as shown in Fig. 1, I may mount both forms on lVhen it is desired to throw the device to operatlve positlon, the lever arm a machine and use the same as above eX- plained, both devices being operated by separate means.

In Figs. 8, and 9 I show a member 50 attached to the lower end of the wheel and the skid holding. frame, which has for its purpose the object of lifting the wneel over any rough road, which the wheel would not normally ride over. This member 50 is attached at the forward side of the frame in the position shown'in Figs. 8 and 9 and en ables the device to accomplish the above mentioned object. It may be attached to any of the above mentioned forms.

From the foregoing detailed description, the nature of my invention may be readily understood. I do not necessarily limit myself to the details herein set fo 'th, as such details may be varied or modified without exceeding my invention as indicated by the following claims.

Having described a preferred form of my invention, I claim:

1. A non-skid device for vehicles, 631!- bodying a stationary frame mounted upon the vehicle and embodying a vertical cylinder having a slot therein, a plunger therein extending below the lower end of the cylinder, a road engaging member on the lower end of the plunger, said plunger being hollow, a compression spring resting in said plunger, a plunger block movable in the plunger, the plunger being slotted and there being a cross pin connected to the plunger block and projecting through the plunger slot and cylinder slot-,and manually operable means connecting to said cross pin to move it up and down.

2. A non-skid de *ice for vehicles, cmbodying a stationary frame nounted upon the vehicle and embodying a pair of ver tical cylinders having slots therein, plungers therein extending below the loi end of the cylinders, a road engagmg member on the lower end of the plungers, compression springs in said cylinders acting on the plungers, blocks movable said cylinders acting on the springs, a cross pin extending between the blocks, and means to move the cross pin.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 7th day of March, 1917.

CHAS. E. CORKRAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington. D. G. 

